The Fourth Man
by Ray by Another Name
Summary: The original Ino-Shika-Chou is getting an addition to their squad and Shikaku is not happy with the Hokage's choice. Shikaku/Yoshino. Pre-Canon Naruto. Rated K.
1. Chapter 1

The original Ino-Shika-Chou is getting an addition to their squad and Shikaku is not happy with the Hokage's choice. Shikaku/Yoshino. Pre-Canon Naruto. Rated K.

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><p>The Fourth Man<br>Chapter 1

Minato stood somewhat awkwardly behind the Hokage as two-thirds of the Ino-Shika-Chou trio stood in front of the desk. The Third looked them up and down before meeting their eyes. Injuries were evident on both the men – a bandaged arm and lots of bruises for Chouza and cuts on the length of Inoichi's legs.

"I am adding a medic-nin to your team." The Hokage's voice was deadpanned. Minato looked at him in shock – no one had managed to penetrate the friendship of the three men, not Chouza's wife, not Inoichi's girlfriend.

Inoichi balked quickly, "We don't need another man, Nara has –"

"Nara can't heal himself," the Hokage raised his hand to silence Inoichi, "And his abilities have not made much of a difference lately."

"With all due respect, Hokage-sama, we work best alone," Chouza attempted to reason, but Minato could tell the Hokage would not be swayed on this. He hadn't even paused in his smoking, the pipe still solidly perched on his lip.

The Hokage sighed, smoke filling the air, "Yes, the famous Ino-Shika-Chou formation, I know." He rested his head on top of his raised hands, "I also know it allows you three to support one another's reckless behavior. Something I can no longer allow."

Inoichi huffed, but remained silent as he traded a look with Chouza. Minato could see the gears in their heads working – thinking of ways to ditch the medic already.

"You will not be able to work any A or S-Ranked missions without Yoshino," the Hokage stipulated, seeing the same thing as Minato.

"Yoshino?" "A woman?!"

Minato knew Shikaku was not going to take this lying down – the control freak that he was and the womanizer he pretended he wasn't. Eyeing the Hokage Minato began to wonder if that was the reason this meeting was taking place while the Nara was incapable of coming.

Shikaku was lying down in his bed, staring at the ceiling in absolute boredom. The medic-nin had already stopped two of his escape attempts. A broken leg and the pain meds were slowing him down or she never would have been able to.

"Now, if you try to leave without my permission again, I'll sedate you," the woman was infuriating. He pulled on the restraints a bit to test them, she immediately tightened them.

He glanced at the leather binding, seeing how they cut into his skin he spoke, "Isn't this a bit overkill?" She ignored him and he sighed, "Troublesome woman."

She glared at him for a moment before moving to his leg. She began to form hand-signs to mend bone, but Shikaku scoffed at technique.

"Those won't work," he said, watching her movements with amusement, "You have to set the bone before you can fuse it back together."

"And what exactly do you think I did when you first came in?"

Shikaku yawned, thinking back to his first conscious memories after the mission, "Made a lot of unnecessary noise to wake me up?" She growled and he added, "Oh, and you tripped me after that."

"You were trying to escape!" Hands on her hip she glowered down at the Nara before moving her attention back to his leg. With a final deep-breathe she made the necessary hand-signs, trying to ignore Shikaku's gripping.

"Can I leave now?" Shikaku yawned again, "I'm suppose to be meeting with the Hokage." She eyed him for a moment and then patted the leg she'd just healed. He started, cringing at the pain where the leg was still sensitive.

Smirking, she said with voice dripping with acid, "If you wanted to meet with the Hokage than you shouldn't have gotten yourself injured." Shikaku tried to argue but she pressed on his leg again. Once he was silent the medic-nin left the room, "I'll go get that sedative now."

She stalked out the room as he called insults after her. At the door she ran into Chouza and Inoichi, with a quick scowl they parted for her.

"Finally, some decent company," Shikaku struggled against his restraints as he attempted to gesture angrily, "Get me out of here before that crazy broad gets back."

Inoichi immediately began to laugh. Chouza smiled nervously at the confused Nara. No one touched his restraints. This was going to be interesting.

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	2. Chapter 2

The original Ino-Shika-Chou is getting an addition to their squad and Shikaku is not happy with the Hokage's choice. Shikaku/Yoshino. Pre-Canon Naruto. Rated K.

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><p>The Fourth Man<br>Chapter 2

Yoshino was hit with the desire to stab her team leader for what must have been the hundredth time. It was her first mission with the Ino-Shika-Chou trio and it was far from what she had imagined. So far they'd kept to themselves at every turn – excluding her from mission planning, mission prep, and now, they were trying to exclude her from the mission itself.

"Look, we just don't know your skill level well enough to trust you yet," Chouza tried to placate her. Inoichi nodded along with that, mention something idiotic about watching before doing.

"I can't help if I don't know what's going on," Yoshino crossed her arms defiantly, glaring at Shikaku. She knew full-well who was behind her treatment on this team.

Shikaku raised an eyebrow challengingly, "Maybe next time, Chunin." He turned his back, calling for Chouza and Inoichi to follow after him. Yoshino wasn't stupid enough to follow them when she had no idea what the mission was, let alone the mission plan.

Shikaku returned with Inoichi's body a few hours later. Inoichi was scouting the area through the eyes of a bird high above the trees. Yoshino was waiting up in a tree. Shikaku barely acknowledge her as he set Inoichi's body up against the trunk.

Yoshino did her best not to let his snub anger her, she focused on keeping her eyes peeled for anything peculiar. In the flash of a moment Inoichi startled back – a warning half way out of his mouth – as three ninjas came at the two jounins.

Shikaku was quick enough to keep the attackers from getting at the still disoriented Inoichi, but a kunai sliced at his face before he could dodge completely. Yoshino threw down a smoke bomb, following after it herself.

The attackers began bombarding Shikaku with shuriken and he was forced to dodge. Inoichi managed to get to his feet to take out one attacker, while Yoshino used the cover to trap the last to in a genjutsu before slitting their throats.

When the smoke cleared Shikaku's face was bloodied and Inoichi was nursing some bruised ribs. Yoshino gave a heavy side as she forced the Nara male to sit down.

Chouza came to the rendezvous point to face a scene of great confusion. Yoshino was grumbling at Shikaku angrily as she bandaged two very deep cuts on his face, who for his part was looking absolutely miserable. And then there was Inoichi, amusement hidden somewhat decently as he kept guard over the two bickering ninjas.

"You'll have scars," Yoshino told Shikaku, her voice one step above a growl, "But it shouldn't take too long to heal if we keep it well taken care of."

Shikaku nodded, eyeing her carefully before speaking, "Thank you."

"Don't thank me," Yoshino did growl this time, "I'd kill you myself, but the Hokage made me promise before he assigned me to your team."

Shikaku took a moment to look insulted before sighing, "I owe you an apology."

Yoshino paused in her task, bandages half-way into the pouch on her leg, "Yes."

"I'm much better at favors, can I just owe you one?" Yoshino scoffed at his words, getting up with a glare on her face. Inoichi raised his hands in surrender as she came over to inspect his wounds.

Chouza exchanged a quick look with his blond teammate before choosing to remain silent. A silence that continued all the way back to Konoha and the Hokage's office.

"You have nothing to add to this report Yoshino?" Minato asked after he skimmed the paper Inoichi had handed him. Yoshino graced him with a look that he was fairly certain could match Kushina, "Nevermind." He then looked at Shikaku, "You should probably go check in at the hospital."

"He will be," Yoshino said, not even looking at the Nara. He didn't protest as she pushed him towards the hospital the second they were out of Minato's sight, "You too, Yamanaka, I want those ribs seen to immediately."

Chouza helped her coral the two into the waiting beds of the hospital. And once there Yoshino took away Shikaku's bandages to rub disinfectant into the wounds.

She smiled, making him nervous, "I know what I want. Shikaku looked at her suspicious, and she pinched his cheek for moving, "You said you would owe me a favor."

"What do you want then?" Shikaku was nervous at the prospect. She seemed the devious sort and he'd given her more than enough reason to hate him.

"The medicine book," Yoshino said, looking at him expectantly, "Everyone knows the Naras have a book full of the best herb medicines. I want to read it."

Shikaku laughed, cringing at the pain it caused to his face, "That book has not been out of the hands of the Clan head ever."

"And you're the head of the Nara clan," Yoshino smirked at him, eyes like daggers, "Unless you don't think my saving your life is worth a quick peak."

In the bed next to him Inoichi had finally given in to his amusement. His and Chouza's laughter was heard all the way down the hall, waking a well-known blonde in her office. The two would soon regret that.

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